New Delhi [India], May 18 (ANI): Rajat Patidar's growing influence as both a captain and batter for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) has drawn praise from former RCB head coach and JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar, who highlighted the right-hander's composed leadership and maturity through the course of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.

Speaking about Patidar's dual role, Bangar remarked on JioHotstar, 'Sometimes it's just about the number of balls you get to face. If the top order is doing well, your chances are limited. Also, being surrounded by top performers means you shouldn't read too much into three or four failures.'

Despite the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, Patidar has managed to leave a mark, both with the bat and his tactical acumen.

Bangar added, 'Rajat has embraced responsibility really well. His captaincy has been spot on. He started the season strong with the bat and continues to impress whenever he's spent time at the crease. In T20s, you're bound to miss out a few times - it's just the nature of the format.'

RCB's recent clash against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was abandoned due to rain, resulting in a shared point for both sides. The outcome, however, worked in RCB's favour as they now sit at the top of the points table with 17 points from 12 matches -- eight wins and three defeats and a no result.

With only a single point needed to officially secure a spot in the IPL 2025 playoffs, RCB will look to seal their qualification when they host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a high-stakes encounter this Friday.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Jacob Bethell, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarawal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Lungi Ngidi, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma, Rasikh Dar Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Liam Livingstone, Swapnil Singh, Philip Salt, Mohit Rathee, Swastik Chikara, Abhinandan Singh, Nuwan Thushara, Josh Hazlewood. (ANI)